Believe it or not there are still people out there who are skeptical that the Internet is having a real impact in the “yellow pages” space. New survey data — albeit from an online panel — should silence those skeptics:
Local online marketing firm WebVisible conducted an online survey this past August regarding Internet usage to find a local service business. The survey used Nielsen//NetRatings’ online panel and asked about behavior within the past 90 days. Among more than 2,800 consumer responses:
- 70% had used the Internet to search for a local service business at any point, and 46% had used the Internet to search one or more times for a local service in the last 90 days
- 89% found search to be “somewhat effective” or “very effective” in finding local services in their area.
- 68% said they would most likely use the phone number on the website to contact a vendor.
I’m going to drill down on this data after the holiday.
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Greg Sterling is the founding principal of Sterling Market Intelligence, a consulting and research firm focused on online consumer and advertiser behavior and the relationship between the Internet and traditional media, with an emphasis on the local marketplace.
I can’t wait to read your expanded post. In general merchants I meet don’t believe the internet can help them. The entire subject is Russian to them. Very frustrating.
I agree with Mike above. I find it amusing that this kind of dribble about how “wonderful” and “effective” the local search sites are is always put out by sources directly tied to, and in competition with, the print Yellow Pages. No matter how much they shout it from their roof tops, local search is not in any way as comprehensive or as useful (or used) as the print book.
not as comprehensive? well most online sites are based on just the same data as the books … not as useful? well I might disagree on that one. Reviews and Ratings are a proper example and think about the maps attached to the listings … going forward by the time the “Natives†will be the vast group of users the books might even vanish i guess
Hey Greg – Happy TGiv,
I think Roger has a point. However, as the younger generation starts buying, they won’t even consider looking into the YP to find info. It’s just foreign to them. We’re still in the infancy of online local search – with the best yet to come.